RDS License Server woes

[Mike Leone]

Have I mentioned that I hate MS licensing?

So I finally received my new RDS licenses today. So I went and activated my RDS Licensing server first. Since my server doesn't have internet access, I had to do it via web browser from my workstation,. Fine, whatever. I go online, put in the product key the server said to use, I got back a server ID, I put that into the server, it says it all activated.

I have a green check mark on the server in RD License Manager. I "Review Configuration", more green check marks (member of "Terminal Server License Server" group in AD, and registered as a service connection point).

So then I go and activate the licenses we bought, under our Enterprise Agreement (remember those words, they might be important later ...). It activates. Fine. So now I have a license pack ID.

I go back to the server to install said licenses. I click on "Install licenses". It shows License server settings:

License program: License Pack (Retail Purchase)

Say what now? I never chose that. When you activate the server, I didn't chose *that*. And I don't see any way to change that.

So naturally my license pack ID (which was from the Enterprise Agreement, remember) won't install.

<SIGH>

I even tried re-activating the server, and re-assigning the licenses from the old server ID to the new server ID.

Nope, no difference.

I emailed our vendor (CDW) for assistance, but while I wait for them, I thought I'd ask the group here. Where did I go wrong? And, how do I fix it?

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Mike. Leone, <mailto:tur...@mike-leone.com>

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[Mike Leone]

UPDATE

Never mind. I asked my corporate firewall guy why the server can't connect to the Clearinghouse to install licenses. He said it could. I tried again, this time it did the automatic connection and I was able to install my licenses.

<SIGH>

Time to go home.

I did go into Powershell and Set-RDLicenseConfiguration to -Mode PerUser and specified the license server and Connection Broker (in my case, both are the same server).

Thanks

[Philip Elder]

When you right click to add new licenses you should be given the option to set the type of license to be installed?

 

Philip Elder MCTS

Senior Technical Architect

Microsoft High Availability MVP

MPECS Inc.

E-mail: Phili...@mpecsinc.ca

Phone: +1 (780) 458-2028

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[Mike Leone]

On Fri, Nov 14, 2025, 3:55 PM Philip Elder <Phili...@mpecsinc.ca> wrote:

When you right click to add new licenses you should be given the option to set the type of license to be installed?

 

I was not being promoted. Then I was ... Perhaps I wasn't running as administrator. Anyway, now I see them installed. 

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[Philip Elder]

I suggest having Group Policy set up to hammer down all servers to credential on the Secure Desktop for UAC prompts.

 

Then, after credentialling for Server Administrator all consoles and PowerShell are automagically elevated when launched from that SM session.

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